Indoctrination
by The Beckster
Summary: The Baron has a new pet project and wants the city's top experts on his team. Those privy to the true nature of the experiment are trying their hardest to stay out of it. But what the Baron wants the Baron gets eventually. The beginning of the story of a doctor forced to work in the Dark Warrior Program. Rated T for mild language. No slash. No pairings.


Hello Jak and Daxter universe. Long time no see. I missed you. I feel like I need to explain myself, so here goes nothing.

Over my spring break last week I sat down and played through all of the Jak and Daxter games. Needless to say that reopened my little pandora's box of feels for these guys. And while I wasn't struck with any particular plot ideas for a completely new fic I remembered my old OC, Dr. Lucie Grzvinski, from my very first fic here (show of hands, who remembers her?). And I remembered all the little parts of her life story that I made for her in my mind but never put down on paper. So I figured I'd go back and look at what I had written for her 4 or 5 years ago. I realized I had been horribly mean to her back then and I decided to go back and rethink her life and see what I could salvage from what I already had done. This piece was reasonably salvageable. I had about half of it done and figured I'd go back and fix things and finish it. And viola, it is complete!

I don't know if I'll ever extend this little story line past this single chapter. It depends on how long the Demolition Duo and all their friends stay rooted at the forefront of my brain. I have no idea how much this will grow.

Before anyone asks, Physiecoology is not a typo and there are not too many O's. It's pronounced "fizzy-eco-ology" as in 'The study of Eco and its effects on human Physiology'.

Dr. Lucie Grzvynski is the intellectual property of The Beckster ans may not be used without express permission.

All other characters and places belong to Naughty Dog Inc.

As always, Read, Review, and Enjoy!

-The Beckster

* * *

**Indoctrination**

"What?!" Lucie looked across the desk with wide, surprised eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

Dean, the head of Haven General Hospital, closed his eyes slowly and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Trust me, Lucie, I tried negotiating with him, but he refused to settle again. Baron Praxis wants you and only you on his team for the DWP."

"I'm not doing it. If I've told that man once, I've told him a thousand times. I refuse to associate myself with that awful program," Lucie argued stubbornly, glaring across the desk at her superior.

Dean sighed exhaustion showing in his face; stress had caused him to look much older than his fifty-four. "I know Lucie, and I've managed to hold the Baron off for the past three years, but he's worked his way through every eco researcher in the city. He demanded to have you on the team. You're the leading expert on Physiecoology in this city and probably on the entire continent. The Baron refuses to settle for anyone else. He made an ultimatum I couldn't ignore."

"What did he threaten us with this time?" Lucie asked coldly, leaning back in her chair glaring across the desk.

"He threatened to cut off all supplies to the hospital and all our clinics in the city. Everything would go to the center in the barracks."

Lucie snorted. "He can't do that. Too many people rely on this hospital, even he does. I'm certain he hasn't forgotten that we perform all of the major, lifesaving surgeries on his wounded soldiers. He even owes us his life."

"His reply was along the lines of 'If they aren't strong enough to survive then they don't belong in my army.' Besides, he's already stopped our supplies. The shipment of medicine and cybernetic implants from Kras didn't come in today. Word is they were stopped in the port, couldn't even unload from the transport. All of our local eco suppliers are being closely watched by KG. We can't get anything and our supplies won't last us through the end of the week."

"I can't do it, Dean. I cannot bring myself to lower my morals like that. You know what they do to those poor victims! It's murder, not research! All they have discovered is what we already knew: Dark Eco kills people."

"The Baron believes he has made a break through. He believes they have found a channeler."

"That's impossible! The common channeler gene has been gone for over a century. It died out with the last of the Eco Sages. The only other gene known is that of the Mar bloodline, and even then there hasn't been a royal channeler for generations. And there won't be ever again. The king and his son are dead. Our dear Baron made sure they didn't survive the coup."

"I know that, Lucie. But Praxis is certain he has a channeler. Random genetic mutations happen; maybe he really found one."

Lucie's frown deepened. "I'm sorry, Dean, but I can't be responsible to the murder of the innocent in the name of the city."

"Lucie, please," Dean begged, "For once forget your morals and make a sacrifice for this hospital. Think about the greater good!"

"I have made sacrifices for this hospital!" Lucie snapped, "I've dedicated my life to serving and _healing_ the people of this city. I nurture life, I don't end it. I will never work for the Baron."

"Lucie, if you don't work for the Baron this hospital will cease to exist!" Dean rose from his chair and slammed his hands onto his desk. "More people in the city will die and suffer than those few people in the Program. Can you think of that for a minute? This isn't just about you and your morals and a few criminals! This is for the greater good of the entire city. Just go work for the Baron."

Lucie stood up indignantly when Dean rose. She looked at her colleague suspiciously. She had just realized fate was already out of hands. "I never suspected you would be a sellout to the Baron, especially over the Dark Warrior Program." Her voice was low and furious.

"I didn't 'sell out', Lucie," he shot back venomously, "It was a carefully considered decision. I have to put the needs of the people in this damn city first. It's my job. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a few to save a thousand."

"So you decided to sell your best doctor and good friend to the Baron. How much did you sell me for?" Lucie crossed her arms over her chest to stop her clenched fists from shaking. Dean avoided her glare. "How much?" she demanded.

"The Baron said the hospital would have its eco bill fully paid for six months," he replied, his voice heavy and weary again. His gaze fell everywhere else, but on the woman staring daggers into him. "He's already frozen your accounts; nothing goes in or out unless it's coming from him. He's also tripled his offered salary."

"I don't want money for what I'm doing!" Lucie glowered, "It's bad enough I'll have torture weighing on my conscience. Being paid in blood money would just be another insult."

"A KG escort will get you at your apartment tomorrow morning at eight," Dean stated with finality, still not meeting Lucie's gaze, instead he had started organizing the papers on his desk. "I'm sorry Lucie. Maybe with your final verdict they'll finally realize that the Program will never work and they'll shut it down. You're the leading expert, make them realize it is a complete failure," he offered helplessly.

Lucie took her cue to leave. She opened the door, paused on the threshold, and turned around, "You know, after what the Baron did to your family, I always thought you would rather burn in hell before becoming his bitch. I guess I was wrong."

She turned on her heel and walked quickly down the hall. As she called the elevator she took many deep breaths to try and quell her fury. As much as she wanted to scream and kick the wall she knew it wouldn't do any good. A sore throat and broken toe would not get her out of working for the Baron, nor would it make the sting of betrayal fade.

* * *

"Dr. Grzvynski, I'm delighted to see you finally agreed to join us," Baron Praxis said extending his hand as Lucie was escorted into his throne room by two armed guards. "I trust your ride here was uneventful."

"Yes, the armed guards almost made me feel secure and special, almost like a prisoner," Lucie replied tersely, ignoring the Baron's extended hand.

The Baron dropped his hand to his side, his false, political smile never wavering. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew he had to keep the doctor in a good mood if he expected her cooperation. "Please, have a seat," he gestured to a chair across the large desk that looked pathetically undersized in the enormous room, "and we will finalize your contract."

Lucie took off her coat and held it out for the guard next to her. The confused guard looked between his commander and the Palace's newest guest, hesitating momentarily. Praxis nodded slightly and shot the guard a sharp look. Fumbling, the guard took Lucie's coat and folded it over his arms. Lucie smirked, the Baron wanted her, _really_ wanted her. She was ready to play this game, but carefully. As valuable as she may be she was still disposable to Praxis. She had to push wisely until she found the limits of his patience.

"May I offer you something to drink?" Praxis said as a servant hurried over. "Tea? Coffee?"

"Oh, no thank you," Lucie said far too sweetly.

Praxis waved the servant off and settled into his chair, "Now, Doctor, we need to finalize your contract."

"You know, Baron, I was thinking last night about how it seems like just a few years ago you were bringing in little Ashelin to my clinic for her vaccines. I remember how she used to cry at the thought of a needle and you would hold her hand, and wipe away her tears, and tell her how brave she was. It's funny how time seems to fly." _You used to be so tender and fatherly, but then again that was a different time and you were a different man. That was before the metal heads killed your wife._ "I assume she's gotten over her needle phobia, judging by the amount of tattoos that adorn her now. I must say she's grown into a fine young woman. You must be proud of her," Lucie said, her sincerity masking her insinuations. The Baron read the hidden messages just the same.

"Yes, Ashelin has turned out to be a fine officer. She's due for a promotion soon." The Baron shot Lucie a looked laced with a warning to choose her words judiciously. Lucie heeded his only warning and changed the subject. That was one line she could not cross again.

"So, you really must want me on your team for the price you were willing to pay to get me. Covering the hospital for the next six months, and tripling my salary, and here I thought you had given up on charity. That really was very kind of you."

The Baron scowled. "Those conditions only stand if you do your job, which is clearly stated in this contract." He pushed a paper towards Lucie, "Everything is arranged, all you need to do is sign."

Lucie smiled. "Nice try, but I'm going to read it first." She adjusted her glasses and picked up the paper. She was silent for a minute, "Funny, I don't remember being offered the position of primary physician. I was under the impression that I would be here strictly for research proposes."

"The contract states you will be primary physician for the test subjects. There have also been a number of requests from some of the guard for a woman physician to discuss... feminine things." The Baron finished with a vague wave of his hand, a hint of embarrassment colored his final statement.

"I can tell biology was your favorite subject," Lucie observed dryly. She read farther down the contract "I see that I'm primary physician for officers as well as female enlisted personnel."

"If you expect triple pay, then you better expect to work for it," the Baron stated simply.

"I see that I must work for a year and after that I may cancel it at any time, unless I am dismissed from the team by you." She read farther down, "Ah, my salary and the agreement on the hospital. Well Baron Praxis, as much as I detest being here you've got me cornered." She reached for a pen. "I will do this appalling job only as long as I must. This will be the year I will omit from my record and my memory," she spat bitterly as she signed her name.

The Baron took the contract back with a disturbingly triumphant look on his face. "I am glad to finally have you on board, Doctor." He rose and Lucie followed his cue. "I imagine you would like to start working as soon as possible. Accompany me to the prison and I will get you acquainted with your coworkers and the project. You can even meet our new test subject; we're starting his trials today." He strode purposefully towards the massive doors of the throne room.

Lucie suppressed a shudder, retrieved her coat from the less than happy looking guard, and followed the Baron. May the Precursors forgive her for what she would have to do in the coming year.

* * *

The prison was particularly foul. The stench of human excrement, mildew, blood, and rust filled Lucie's nostrils long before they entered that wing of the Fortress. Clearly, maintenance and upkeep had fallen to the wayside. Lucie added to demand the cells be cleaned more often to the top of her list.

The cell block set aside specifically for the Dark Warrior Project was the second stop on her tour after meeting her coworkers. Many of them were KG and Lucie doubted that any of them had ever practiced real medicine, aside from knowing field dressings and basic first aid. There was one man, boasting a thick Aeropan accent, who stood out as competent and knew what he was doing. The sadistic gleam in his eyes as he talked about the Project made Lucie's stomach turn. He was clearly a psychopath who functioned reasonably well because he had an outlet for his sadism. Lucie secretly thought that a psychological evaluation on any of the people working the project would reveal sadistic tendencies. They all seemed to have volunteered for the job.

She was lead past the cells slowly so she could assess each prisoner. Their ages varied greatly, from a frail looking woman with gray hair to a wiry looking twenty-something young man who paced around his cell angrily and shouted obscenities until one of the guards tazered him into submission. There were twenty test subjects in all.

Praxis stopped at the very last cell in the row and gestured to it proudly. "Here is my newest catch."

Lucie peeked reluctantly. Huddled in the corner of the metal slab that served as his bed, as far from the cell door as possible, was a young boy. He had bright yellow hair with green roots that stood straight up. He watched the guards with wide, terrified, bright blue eyes. He glanced quickly at Praxis, his eyes lingering momentarily on the Baron's cybernetic half in fascination and terror. Lucie found that odd; the boy acted as if he had never seen anyone with a cybernetic implant, that technology was easily a hundred years old and relatively common. Then he turned his gaze to her and shrunk back even more. Lucie had to force herself to keep her face stoic. She couldn't allow herself to feel sympathetic towards the test subjects. She had to try and dehumanize them in her mind; otherwise she'd never survive the next year.

"We're starting his eco treatments today," Praxis explained. "We have reasonable belief that the boy is a channeler."

"You can't." Lucie couldn't stop herself.

"Why not?" The Baron asked dangerously.

Lucie gestured around to all the cells. "None of these test subjects are in proper health to provide reliable results. Many of them are too sick. Their symptoms can give us inaccurate data. It's basic science. You need healthy test subjects if you want reliable data."

"None of the other researchers have said anything about this," Praxis countered suspiciously.

"Then you have a bunch of sadists under your thumb, not scientists. Go out to any reputable lab in the city and see what conditions they keep their rats in. Their cages are clean, they get good food and fresh water regularly, and they're in perfect health before and during the tests. These people are living in their own filth and it's making them sick. Testing now would just be a waste of time and resources and your subjects could die from something else before you get any results."

Praxis looked around the room and at the scum covered floors. One prisoner had a bout of hacking coughs that rang heavily in the silence. "Perhaps you have a point."

"I refuse to start testing on anyone until they have a clean bill of health. That's the only way you can ensure the most accurate test results," Lucie stated firmly. She crossed her arms over her chest and chanced a glance into the boy's cell behind her. Would he realize she was buying him more time and getting him the best living conditions possible in this situation? Would any of the prisoners realize that?

The boy looked confused, as if he was desperately trying to see the best in Lucie, but at the same time he couldn't differentiate her from any of the other people in white coats who had treated him like a living pin cushion over the last few days and then handed him over to the abusive guards.

A shout from the cell across the way, a middle aged man covered in KG tattoos – a deserter – made up the boy's mind for him. "What are you playing at, bitch? You're just fattening us up for the slaughter! Just let us suffer and die in our own shit."

Lucie turned away from the hardened eyes of the boy and steeled herself. "It's no trick, Baron, if you want the most accurate test results they must be in good health. Otherwise you can't trust any of the data."

Praxis paused and thought for a moment. "It will happen, Doctor. Now come, we will show you to your new office."

Lucie's office ended up being a small suite of four rooms – a front informal sitting area that doubled as her office, a back examination room, a recovery room, and a small bathroom. The first room was dominated mostly by a desk and several file cabinets, a couple plastic chairs stood in one corner. There were a few large file boxes stacked on top of Lucie's new desk. The exam room was stark white and sterile; Lucie found it comforting after the rather dingy surroundings of the Fortress in general. A quick look told her that she had every piece of equipment she could possibly need to perform any procedure short of major surgery. The recovery room only held a few beds, but they were clean and soft.

"I trust you find everything adequate to easily practice medicine in here when required." Praxis said as Lucie explored her examination room.

"Yes, everything seems to be in order."

"Then I will leave you to your studies. You have much to read. I expect you to be at security at 8am promptly every morning, and you may not leave until after 8pm every night. Any lapses in judgment will result in consequences. I will keep tabs on you."

"Know this, Praxis. I expect my demands to be fulfilled in a timely manner and done properly. I will withhold my involvement in the DWP if I find things slipping out of my control. You brought me here, I am in charge now. You best make sure all my coworkers and the prison guards understand that. If you comply to my wishes, I will comply to yours."

"It seems we have reached a compromise." Praxis turned to leave the office.

"I expect it in writing, Baron, with your signature on it. I want it on my desk by lunch."

"It will be done," The Baron growled before leaving the Doctor alone in her new office.

Lucie sighed and sat in her chair. She moved the file boxes to the floor and opened the one with the oldest date, over three years old. She pulled out the first binder and began to read. Each test subject had their own binder full of detailed information. Part of her wanted to just dump every box in the garbage, since the data gathered was crap, and reading into the project would be the last step she could take to be fully indoctrinated into the program. She didn't want to, but she needed to intimately know everything about the project if she wanted to really make a difference.

At midday, Lucie returned to the prison block. She needed to have a serious discussion with the warden about the changes that were to come about if the subjects were to be healthy enough for experimentation.


End file.
